Lietuvių išeiviai - Medininkų pilies atgimimo iniciatoriai

ENLithuanians from the US, Australia, Canada and other countries, together with their funds and unions, flocked to support the Fund for the Restoration of Medininkai Castle (FRMC). The FRMC was established in Chicago on 19 January 1992 by the American Lithuanian Engineers and Architects Association (ALEAA) - the driving force behind the castle’s reconstruction, which began in 1993. The funds collected by the FRMC were assigned to the reconstruction of the castles main tower (the keep), while all other expenses of the castles restoration were to be covered by the state. Because the money collected from donors could only be used to pay for work that had already been carried out, the collection of funds for Medininkai Castle was crucial to the activities of all participants involved in the castle’s reconstruction. The leaders of the ALEAA and FRMC, A. J. Kerelis and L. Maskuliūnas, had become active participants in the castle’s reconstruction process, interested in the pace and quality of the works carried out. Together with other participants in the rescue of the castle, the two leaders solved various reconstruction problems, participating in meetings with representatives of state institutions, often organised on their own initiative; meeting with heads of the state; and writing official letters and articles. Using the money donated by Lithuanians living abroad, two and a half storeys of the main tower were rebuilt, its ground-floor ceiling panel installed, and exhibits purchased for the Medininkai Castle Museum’s Arms Hall. By participating in the revival of Medininkai Castle, Lithuanians in exile helped to awaken the national consciousness, spreading ideas of democracy and national unity. The main stage of the castle’s restoration was successfully completed in 2012, with the active participation of Lithuanians living abroad. Their input is undeniable.